Gangs promoting small boat Channel crossings on social media will face up to five years in prison as part of a new crackdown announced by the government.
An amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill – currently going through parliament – will introduce a new, UK-wide offence to criminalise the creation of material for publication online which promotes or offers services facilitating a breach of UK immigration law.
This could include small boat crossings, the creation of fake travel documents like passports or visas, or explicitly promising illegal working opportunities in the UK.
While facilitating illegal migration is already a crime, the government said the proposed changes would “add another string to law enforcement’s bow, better enabling them to disrupt the gangs while they are publicising people smuggling activities and provide an additional tool when building a case against those peddling this content”.
Approximately 80 per cent of migrants arriving via small boats told officials that they used social media during their illegal journey to the UK, including to locate or communicate with an agent or facilitator associated with an organised crime group, according to Home Office analysis.
Individuals caught by the offence could receive a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine.
It comes after the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel topped 25,000 in record time, after some 898 people made the journey in 13 boats on Wednesday – the third highest daily number of crossings this year.
The home secretary said ministers are “determined to do everything we can” to prevent people smuggling gangs from helping people to make the dangerous crossing.
“Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country – whether on or offline – simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral”, said Yvette Cooper.
“These criminals have no issue with leading migrants to life-threatening situations using brazen tactics on social media.”
She added: “We have to stay one step ahead of the ever-evolving tactics of people-smuggling gangs and this move, part of our Plan for Change to boost border security, will empower law enforcement to disable these tactics faster and more effectively, ensuring people face proper penalties.”
Rob Jones, director general of the National Crime Agency, said: “We know many of the people-smuggling networks risking lives transporting people to the UK promote their services to migrants using social media.
“The majority of migrants arriving in the UK will have engaged with smugglers in this way. This is why we work with social media companies to target smugglers’ accounts, and we’ve increased the pace of takedowns.”
In 2025 so far, 25,436 people have made the dangerous journey across the Channel – up 51 per cent on this point last year (16,842) and 73 per cent higher than at this stage in 2023 (14,732), according to PA news agency analysis.
It is the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 25,000 mark has been passed since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018.
Last year, the figure was passed on 22 September, and in 2023, it was on 2 October.
With Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surging in the polls, the figures come as a fresh blow to Sir Keir Starmer, whose pledge to tackle small boat crossings is a central pledge of his mission for government.
The high numbers of crossings come despite the prime minister announcing a major “one in, one out” returns deal with France last month. While it is hoped the deal will bring the spiralling numbers under control, the crossings have so far continued at pace.
